Relief Crew Volunteers offering hands on support to residents of a refugee camp, creating pathways to employment.

Lesvos

"Skills that would normally take a month to learn, the teachers have taught us in a week."

Fadia, hospitality student

5
Interior crew
5
Hospitality modules
106
Refugee camp residents

About the project

With funding from within the yachting industry, we were able to renovate a community space run by our partner NGO, Movement On The Ground, into a fully-functioning hospitality training centre.
Interior crew from five yachts designed short courses in service, kitchen food prep, barista training, mixology and housekeeping and then came to Lesvos, teaching those skills over a two-week pilot programme.
More than 100 residents from the refugee camp took part in the hands-on, entry level courses, designed so students could gain an understanding of the European hospitality sector and decide if it was an avenue they wished to follow while taking their next steps to employment.
Europe's hospitality sector has a shortage of workers and within four weeks of the pilot programme, more than 10 students had found employment in Lesvos - bridging gaps between the host and refugee communities.
Movement on The Ground continues to run the training centre, employing local Greeks as the instructors.

Relief Crew on the ground

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Frequently asked questions

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How much notice do you need before crew can join a project?

Typically, we need to know at least a month in advance. But if you have a last-minute project,  let us know and we’ll see what can be arranged.

Are crew accustomed to working in diverse or challenging environments?

Yes, crew are experienced in high-pressure environments onboard, where they are trained to prioritize safety and think critically—focusing on solutions rather than problems.

What level of support or supervision will the crew members require?

Set and forget. Once crew have an understanding of a project, you’ll be able to leave them to get work done.

What are the crew’s motivations for volunteering?

That will depend on the individual, but as part of our screening process, we ensure crew members are committed to volunteering for the right reasons.

How to get involved?

Meaningful change starts with a connection.

These are some of the ways you can get involved:

  • Sign up to volunteer
  • Partner with a project
  • Follow us on our socials

Or simply drop us a message. We’re open to any ideas for collaboration.